Driving mechanism for motor-vehicles.



R. E. HAMILTON. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

urucnxon mum 3.29, 1912. 1,126,992. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

minus-am v Z Zhmrntur R. E. HAMILTON. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTORVEHICLES.

APPLIUATION FILED APB-.29 1912. 1, 126,992, Patented Feb. 2, 1915. ZSHEETS-SHEET 2. v

H15 Ncleral's PETERS CO. Enurmr, I0 .v 5 mo;

ence' being had to the accompanying draw-- STATES T OFFICE- RALPH n.HeMILro v, or nn'ritor'r, MICHIGAN.

DRIVING MECHANISM Fora Iy orroR-vEnIcLns. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. HAMILTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in' the' county ofWayne, State of Michigan, have invented certainnew and usefulImprovements in Driving Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles; and I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription' oftheinvention, such as will enableOthersskilled in the art to .which itappertains to make and use the same, referings, and to the characters'of reference niarked thereon, which formlapart'of this specification. w

This "nvention relates to driving mechanism for motor vehicles, andconsists in the construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter morefully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claim.

The"object of the invention is to provide 7 simple and'eificient meansfor. driving the front wheels of a motor vehicle, whereln provision 1smade for .turmngsaid wheels for the purpose of steeringthe vehicle with:

fragmentary view in top plan showing the front axle of a vehicle, thewheels pivotally connected with the ends thereof in accordance with myinvention, and'the method of actuating the wheels to effect a steeringof the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of the hubof one of the driving wheels. Fig. 4. is a fragmentary view partly inhorizontal section, showing the driving connection through the medium ofwhich the wheel is rotated, and illustrating by full and dotted linesthe movement of the wheel for steering purposes. Fig. 5 is a similarview in complete horizontal .section through the spindle and hub, the

driving mechanism appearing in elevation. Fig. 6 is an enlargedfragmentary view in section, as on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by the char- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

I Application filed April 29, 1912. Serial No. 693,775.

actors of reference marked thereon, 1 designates the front axle which ispreferably hollow, and which at its longitudinal center is provided withthe usual differential gear case 2 adapted to contain any suitabledifferentlal gearing, not shown. Extending into the gear case 2 is themotor or drivingshaft 3. Each end of the axle 1 is provided with a shaftsection 4: adapted to receive motion in the usual way from adifferential gearing. At eachend of the axle" 1 is a fork 5, the sidesof which stand in vertical alinement. Entered between the sides of thefork 5, at each end of the axle, is a hub spindle 6, having in theperiphery thereof,

at its inner end, recesses 7 in which the sides of the fork lie. Passingvertically through the fork sides, and through the inner end of each ofthe spindles 6, is a pin 8. Said pins effect a pivotal connectionbetween the forks 5 and the spindles '6 that allows said spindles toswing in the arc of a horizontal circle concentric with said pins.Journaled on each of the spindles 6 is a hub 9 of a vehicle wheel 10,said hub carrying the usual spokes 11.-- The inner end of each of thehubs abuts against an annular shoulder 12 on the spindle 6. To "confinethe hub upon the spindle there is employed a retaining plate 13,circular in form, which is fastenedto the end ofthe spindle by theplates 14-, carrying on their outer ends the nuts 15. The diameter ofthe'platel3 is. greater than that of the spindle so that its perimeterextends into a rabbet 16 in the endfiof the hub'and retains the hub uponthe spindle- The outer' endof each of'the shaft sec- -tions4 isjournaled at 17 in the crown of the fork 5, and carries a beveled gear18 fixed thereon. In the inner end of each of the spindles 6 is a recess19, which forms a housing for the driving gears. Journaled on the pin 8in said housing is a'beveled gear 20 which meshes with the gear 18.Centrally disposed with respect to the spindle 6, and extendinglongitudinally thereof to rotate in suitable bearings, is a short shaft21. The inner end of this shaft extends into the chamber or housing 19and carries a beveled gear 22 which is fixed thereon, and which mesheswith the gear 20. By this arrangement a rotation of the shaft section 4will impart a rotary movement to the short shaft 21 journaled in thespindle 6. To connect shaft 21 with the hub 9 there is employed a spider23 provided with a central aperture which receives the square end 24 ofthe shaft 21. Within the circular opening in the outer end of the hub 9,

I and attached to the inner, wall thereof at three points therein, areteeth 25 which extend parallel with the axis of the hub. The" outer endsof the arms of the spider 28 are provided with like teeth 26 adapted-toslide into meshing engagement with the teeth of the hub, thereby whensaidparts are in operative engagement, effecting a driving connectionbetween the hub and spider. To

secure the spider in place in the outer end of the hub, the shaft 21 isthreaded, as shown at 27 (see Fig. l) and screwed there- 'onto,into-engagement with said spider, is a I I nut 28. It will now-beapparent that a r0- tation of the shaft 21 will impart a rotarymovementto the hub 19 upon the spindlefi,

. Connected to the spindles 6 of each'of the wheels is a steering arm29, said arms being pivotally connected by a crossrod '30; From one ofthe arms 29 is a projecting r member 31, to the outer end of which; is

,pivoted an actuating rod 32, controlled by th'esteering mechanism, notshown. By'a movement of'the rod32 the spindles 6 may be caused to swingupon .the centers 8 to change the direction of travel of the vehicle, 0I

as .will be well understood.

- 'When. the steeringtdevice is actuated the spindlesfiare swung in thearc of a horizontal circle concentric with the pivot pins .8. T0accommodate thismovement the (Mile l of this patent my be obtained forgears 22 on the shafts 21: in'said spindles travel around the arcs of.the gears 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:; :The swinging of the wheels10 does not'interfere with the driving mechanism as theshafts 21 withinirrespective of the position in which the wheels 10 may stand. The factthat" the wheels are being'driventhrough' the gears 18, 20 and 22' doesnot in, any sense impede against saidspider the. spindles of the hubsrotate continuously,

Br :interferwith'theturiiing tr thewheels when it is desired to changethe directionof travel of the'vehicle;

a Having thusfully'set forth myinvention,

what I claim as 'new,'and desire to secure by 1 LettersiPatent, is

In a driving mechanism for motor ye .hicles, anaxlehaving a fork, ashaft journaled in said axle, a beveled gear wheel H mounted upon saidaxle shaft, va hollow spindle having an annular: shoulder? at. the

inner end' thereof, said zshoulder beingficut away to provide clearancefor-rtheends of of said axle fork to saidspindle, alshaft journjaledconcentrically-.. of said-Lhollow spindle, a beveled gear wheel'revolubly mounted upon said pivotal means within the said fork, pivotalmeans connecting-the ends end {of said, spindle and meshingiwiththe L Lbeveled-gearwheel of said, axle shaft for impartingmovement tosaid-spindle shaft,

awheelhubof agreater diameter than the annular shoulderbfsaid spindlerevolubly mounted upon said spindle and having'the q inner end thereofabutting the shoulder of said spindle and the opposite. end thereofrabbeted and provided with teeth, a' spider detachably mounted uponsaidshaft'within the rabbeted end of said hub andi'ahaving a retaining.plate interposed between said spider. and said hub-r and secured.- tosaid spindle to prevent :saidhub' from becoming .accidentally displacedrelatively .to said (teeth interlocked with thetetll of said hub,

spindle, and means upon said spindle-I shaft V to prevent displacementof said spider. L

In testimonywhereof, I sign, this fication in the presence of twowitnessesswfi 2a *Vvitnessesr 1 v 1 F. M. BEARDSLEY,

- Ms' E. BROESAMLE.

BALPH;

